Barcelona: ATMs and security companies damaged and set on fire by Individualities for the Diffusion of Chaos – FAI / FRI in solidarity with anarchist prisoners (Catalunya)

Barcelona, Spanish State: The attack continues in the face of the blows inflicted by power

After the recent police operations against anarchist milieus, so much has been written and said; statements and opinions mainly denounce or ‘condemn’ the repression inflicted by the authorities. After the latest repressive operation and the reactions that followed, we reckon we should give our point of view.

Starting from the fact that the ongoing repression is the State’s logical response to those who consider themselves (or the State considers) its enemies, we don’t understand certain communiqués full of victimization, where in practice (and with the most appropriate words, of course) they beg the State to stop unleashing its cops ‘indiscriminately’ against anarchists. And they say that repression is unjustifiable, and of course they use and abuse the word ‘frame-up’, and say we do nothing wrong, and that they attack us because we ‘think in a different way’… They try to give a picture of ‘normality’ and endeavour with all means to make this picture clean and socially acceptable. They do their best to take distance from violent words and actions; and as they become entrapped in the game of power and use the latter’s language, they make distinctions between ‘good’ anarchists and ‘bad’ ones, thus promoting criminalization from within their ranks.

At this point some of these ‘anarchists’ don’t feel ashamed at giving pitiful interviews to the media, and what is worse they pose as spokespersons of the ‘anarchist movement’ (and then of all social movements); these would-be politicians and leaders of the masses try their best to alienate anarchism from its subversive and conflictual character, and present anarchism as a simple movement of activists, deprived of any words or actions that clash against power and the established order.

Then there are those who just talk of how terrible repression is, how all comrades are under strict surveillance, and one can’t do anything; this kind of attitudes only spread collective panic and paranoia, and these are the attitudes of those who hide their inactivity behind the pretext of ever present repression, surveillance, ‘I’m being strictly watched’, etc. Anyone who is reluctant to take responsibility can be so according to their personal decisions; but to hide oneself behind uncontrolled and often groundless fear and to spread discouraging feelings wherever one goes, is dangerous and counter-productive. This doesn’t mean that there are the ‘brave’ ones and the ‘cowardly’ ones; it’s perfectly normal to fear police checks, prison, beatings, torture and murders committed by cops and jailers…

But spreading fear leads to panic and paranoia, and in turn this leads to discouraging speeches calling for inaction, maintaining that ‘to behave’ is better for both oneself and other comrades so as not to be the objects of police investigations.

To conclude this topic it must be said that even if the State has shown us nothing more than the tip of the iceberg, this is nothing compared to what could happen; in fact it’s sufficient to look at repression currently occurring in other areas of the world (and not even that far) or in the Spanish State itself a few decades ago. It should be clear that as we stand as anarchists we live with the risk and possibility to be hit by the machine of repression, also at the margins of our practices, because, as we’ve seen, there are times when the same repressive machine tries to stir fear among the enemies and strikes everyone rather than inflict targeted blows; as a consequence anyone of us can be a target.

However, in spite of the deployment of police operations, arrests and slanders that have been carried out (and in spite of what has to come yet), power knows that there will always be individuals who cannot be controlled or frightened, no matter what, our desire to destroy everything that oppresses us cannot be put off. We are glad to see how in spite of everything, they didn’t manage to stop the attack on the existent; every day there are some who still don’t give in to fear and social submission and go on constant attack. Multiform anarchist action keeps on spreading through many neighbourhoods, cities and countries in the form of publications and militant texts, posters, graffiti, banners, sabotage, fires and explosions, roads blocked with barricades, clashes, attacks on the buildings of power and disorders during demonstrations…

Although the Spanish state prefers not to make claims known so that actions are silenced, we know for certain what’s happening, with more or less frequency. The violence of the minority will continue, and we talk about violence openly and without troubles because we are convinced that power won’t fall by itself, nor will any Messiah come from heaven with a solution.

We don’t use words such as ‘self-defence’ or ‘counter-violence’; nor do we talk of anarchist violence only in a context of mass uprising when it’s more acceptable. We’ve found out that in spite of everything, insurrectional practices and attacks are still possible; police can’t be everywhere, they don’t spy on us all or control us all, some common sense, good planning and good will are more than enough to prove that the picture of a controlled and pre-arranged world is just an illusion; it’s up to us to break this illusion of tranquility.

For in the face of the blows of power and the misery of some ‘anarchists’ who only care to give an image of good innocent boys to society in order to be safe, we arm our desires and passions, and go on the attack. To the masses and their inactivity we offer our aggressiveness, we expect nothing and throw ourselves into constant anarchist revolt.

We are the rebels who have decided to carry on and run the risk, and dare live anarchy here and now.

Words without action are dead words to us, so we take the occasion of this communiqué to claim the following actions carried out in several neighbourhoods in Barcelona: the fire on vehicles of security companies, private ones as well as State-owned ones; attacks on bank branches through damages to windows and ATMs caused by hammers, stones, paint and fire; fire and destruction of urban structures.
With this communiqué we want to give our warm greetings to our prisoners, especially Monica and Francisco, who have been in pre-trial detention for over two years always with their heads held high; to comrades Nicola and Alfredo, the comrades of the CCF and the comrades imprisoned in Chile; and we want to remember our fallen ones and greet those who day by day continue to bet on constant conflict and anarchist insurrection, and make anarchy be once again a threat.

For a Black December everywhere!
For the black international of the anarchists of action!
For the spreading of chaos and Anarchy!